Rúben Oliveira is charged with cocaine trafficking, criminal association and money laundering.
The trial of Ruben Oliveira (“Xuxas”) and the remaining 18 defendants for cocaine trafficking, criminal association and money laundering begins today in Lisbon, in a case that involves links with drug trafficking organizations in Brazil and Colombia.
The trial is scheduled for 9:30 am at the Central Criminal Court of Lisbon, with the group of judges having already scheduled a series of sessions, the second of which is scheduled for Wednesday.
According to the Public Ministry’s (MP) indictment, the criminal group, led by Rúben Oliveira, had “close links” with drug trafficking organizations in Brazil and Colombia and since mid-2019 had imported large quantities of cocaine from South America.
The organization headed by “Xuxas” had – also according to the accusation – branches in different logistical structures in Portugal, namely near the sea ports of Setúbal and Leixões and at Humberto Delgado airport, in Lisbon, thus allowing it to use its influence to import large quantities of cocaine escaping inspection.
At those landing sites, the PJ carried out cocaine seizures involving defendants who allegedly obeyed Rúben Oliveira’s orders. Cocaine was introduced into Portugal through companies importing fruit and other food and non-food goods, using maritime containers. The drug was also included in travel bags by air from Brazil to Portugal.
The accusation also indicates that the defendants used “encrypted systems typically used by the world’s largest criminal organizations linked to drug trafficking and violent crime” to communicate with each other.
Xuxas, identified by investigators as one of the biggest Portuguese drug traffickers, has been in pre-trial detention in the high-security Monsanto prison since the end of June 2022.
Criminal investigating judge Carlos Alexandre, in an instructional order dated September 29, sent the defendants (16 individuals and three companies) to trial, largely validating the MP’s accusation.
